Clevis.



J. W. GIBBS.

GLEVIS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4, 1912.

Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

IN VEAT T OR J77 65%55 A Home w w. W w I l JOHN W. GIBBS, 0F CHARLESTON, ILLINOIS.

CLEVIS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

Application filed November 4, 1912. Serial No. 729,417.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN V. GIBBS, citizen of the United States, residing at Charleston, in the county of Coles and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clevises, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to clevises, and more particularly to a clevis designed for use in connection with a whilfletree, one aim of the invention being to provide a clevis of this type so constructed as to permit of its ready attachment to and disconnection from the whiflletree and the draft element of the vehicle to which the Whifiietree is attached.

A further object of the invention is to provide a double clevis the members of which have substantially a universal joint connection so that the whitHetree may assume various positions with relation to the draft element with which it is connected, and swingletrees connected to the whiflietree may have like movement.

The invention also contemplates the provision of a novel means for holding the clevis closed, which means will be so constructed that it may be readily manipulated without the use of tools, to open and close the clevis, and will not be liable to be accidentally actuated to open the clevis by reason of the engagement therewith of draft-chains, or the like.

For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the manner in which the clevis embodying the present invention is to be employed for the purpose of connecting swingle and double trees. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the clevis, both members thereof being closed. Fig. 3 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section illustrating the manner in which the clevis is to be connected with a swingletree.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawing by the same reference characters.

As will be apparent from an inspection of the drawing, all forms of the clevis Whether of the double type or in other words, of that type consisting of two clevis members having swivel connection, or that form consisting of a single clevis member provided with means for attaching it to a swingle tree, are of the same construction, and consequently it is believed that a specific description of a single one of the clevis members supplemented by a description of the various connections employed, will serve to fully disclose the invention.

Each of the clevis members includes a body 1 which is formed with an integral arm 2, preferably extending from the lower end thereof and this arm is provided at its outer end with an integral upwardly projecting draft-pin 3, the upper end of which is reduced as at 4 and formed with an opening 5, the reduction of this end of the draft pin resulting in the formation of a shoulder 6. At its upper end the body 1 is formed with an ear 7 which is received between spaced ears 8 at the inner end of an arm 9, a pivot-pin 10 being engaged through the said ears 7 and 8. The arm 9, being pivoted, may be swung to open or close the clevis and it is formed in its outer end with an opening 11 which receives the reduced end 1 of the draft-pin 3 when the arm is in closed position, the apertured end of the arm resting upon the shoulder 6. lnwardly of the opening 11. the arm is provided upon its upper side with a guide lug l2 and is also formed with a socket or bore 13 extending in axial alinement with the opening 1 1 formed in the said lug, this opening being furthermore in alinement with an opening 15 formed in the reduced end of the pin 3. A latch-pin 16 is slidably fitted in thebore 13 and has bearing against its inner end one end of a spring 17, the other end of the spring hearing at the inner end of said bore. It wi l be observed that the spring is completely housed within the bore and that the bore is closed by the latchpin 16 so that the spring is protected both from iniury by contact with obiccts and against the action of moisture. The latchpin 16 at its outer end is reduced in diameter as at 18, and this reduced portion fits slidably through the opening 14 in the lug 12 and is designed to engage at its end in the opening 15 in the reduced end of the draft-pin 3. A finger-piece 19 is carried by the pin 16 and may be engaged by the finger for the purpose of retracting the portion.

latch-pin from engagement at its end in the opening 15, such movement being had against the tension of the spring 17.

In Figs 1 and 2 of the drawing, the double tree with which one member of the clevis, indicated specifically by the reference character A, is connected, is indicated at 20 and for the sake of convenience in describing the connection between the two members, the other member of the clevis will be referred to as indicated at B. As before stated, these members are, in all essential features, of counterpart construction and the body portion of each is formed with an opening 21. The swivel connection between the members A and B includes a member 22 and a member 23, the former; including a stem 24 which fits rotatably in the opening 21 in the member A of the clevis and is provided with a head 25 and a shoulder 25 which is longitudinally spaced therefrom. The head 25 engages against the inner face of the bight portion of the clevis while the shoulder 25 engages against the outer face of the bight Thus the shank or stem 24: is held against longitudinal movement through the opening 21. The member 23 of the swivel connection includes a stem 26 which is fitted rotatably within the opening 21 of the member Bof the clevis and is provided with a head 27 and shoulder 27 corresponding in function to the members 25 and 25. The member 22 of the swivel connection is fermed with spaced ap'e'r'tured cars 28, and the member 23 is provided with an ear 29 fitted between the ears 28, the pivot-pin 30 being passed through the said ears 28' and 29 By referring to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the draft-pin of the clevis member A is inserted through an opening which is formed in the doubletree 20 at a point midway between the ends thereof. It: will be understood from the foregoing that the member B of the clevis is to be connected with the vehicle or implement to be drawn, and that the members A and B may be readily and quickly connected with and disconnected from the elements designed for their attachment by manipulating the latch-pins 16 and pivoted arms 9. It will also be seen that said members may have relative movement practically of universal nature due to the swivel connection had between them.

Clevis members C corresponding in all essential details of construction to the members A and B, previously described, are connected at the ends of the double tree 20, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, and connected by swivel members 31 with the said clevis members C are clips 32 in which are fitted the swingletrees indicated by the numeral 83'. A bolt 34: is fitted through each of the clips 32 and engages in a notch 35 formed in the respective swingletrees 33, the swingletrees being in this manner held against slipping in the clips. Snap-hooks '36 are connected at the outer ends of the swingletrees 33, but inasmuch as these snaphooks form the subject-matter of a companion application, they will not be herein specifically described. I

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is': V

A clevis of the character described including a substantially L-shape draft arm, a pin extending laterally from the outer terminal of one leg of the draft member, said pin being circumferentially' reduced at its outer terminal forming an intermediate annular shoulder, a closure arm pivotally secured to the outer terminal of the other leg of the draft member, the free terminal of the arm being provided with an aperture adapted to receive the reduced terminal of the pin, a spring pressed locking pin carried by the closure arm, the outer terminal of the locking pin being circumferentially reduced providing intermediate the length of the locking pin an annular shoulder, a lateral lug formed on the closure arm, said lug being provided with a bore which receives the terminal of the locking pin, the annular shoulder ofthe locking pin being adapted to engage the lug for limiting the sliding movement of the locking pin, said reduced terminal of the locking pin being adapted to engage the reduced terminal of the first mentioned pin for holding the outer terminal of the closure arm in closed position. v v H In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

1 JOHN W. GIBBS. [Ls] Witnesses:

HERBERT Gj. Cnowon'n. J oHN' W. DAVIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washingtomjl). G. 

